Top wire positioning mechanism



June 28, 1955 c. R. MECKSTROTH ETAL 2,711,760

TOP WIRE POSITIONING MECHANISM Filed June 30, 19 51 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f Inventors: E] Carl R. MecKstroth Clare ce S. Terez by K The|r Attorney June 28, 1955 c. MECKSTROTH :TAL 2,711,750 I TOP WIRE POSITIONING MECHANISM l -ilqd June'30, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors:

Carl R. MecKstroth Clarence S; Terez TheIr Attorney Unite j Staniey Terez, Maple Heights, Ohio, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 30, 1951, Serial No. 234,596

4 Claims. (Cl. 14071.5)

This invention relates generally to the manufacture of electric lamps and similar devices comprising an envelope having projecting lead-in wires connected to an enclosed filament or electrodes. The invention is particularly concerned with a new and improved mechanism for automatically positioning the lead-in wires of electric lamp bulbs, and the specific embodiment described herein is adapted to straightening the top lead-in wire of the bulb inorder to facilitate automatic base threading.

The invention may be advantageously employed in conjunction with a lamp conveyor system of the indexing type such as is described in copending U. patent application No. 234,593, filed June 30, 1951, of John Flaws, Jr. et al. entitled Automatic Lamp Base Threading Machine and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. In that application, the lamp conveyor system comprises an elongated oval track around which lamp holding chucks are periodically indexed by means ofa roller chain driven through a Geneva drive mechanism. The basing is achieved at a suitable station of the conveyor system by a mechanism which drops a base, open and down,- over the neck of an upstanding bulb and with the eyelet hole of the base substantially in line with the top lead in wire of the bulb. The base is located over the bulb by means of a threading collar or tube and is agitated by jets of air which are directed upon it through the walls of the tube, thereby providing the lead-in wire with repeated opportunities for entering the threading hole.

In order for the machine in the above-mentioned copending application to operate effectively, it is necessary that the top lead-in wire extend upwards substantially straight and vertical from the neck of the bulb. Of course the top wire may be so positioned manually by an operator. However where the bulbs are automatically loaded into the conveyor system and where completely automatic operation is desired, it is necessary to provide some mechanism for the purpose.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism for positioning The specific object of the present ihvention is to provide;

a new and improved top wire positioning mechanism which is adapted to operate oil a bulb, held neck up in a "chuck of an indexing type conveyor system, and which dresses the top wire into a straight and vertical position.

The positioning mechanism in accordance with the;

invention comprises a pair of scissor arms which are adapted to swivel in a horizontal plane one with respect to the other, and which are also mounted for vertical reciprocation. The scissor arms carry at their operating ends fixed combing members which effect a-pre-lirninary;

positioning of the lead-in wire, and a pair of resiliently States Patent "ice 2,711,760 Patented June 28, 1955 mounted gripping members which grip the top end of the lead-in wire. The upward reciprocation of the scissor arms straightens out the wire and definitely sets it in its straightened condition by means of a sharp tug imparted to it through the gripping members. The sharp tug causes a slight stretching or deformation of the wire which permanently sets it.

For further objects and advantages and for better understanding of the invention, attention is now directed to the following description and accompanying drawings. The features of the invention believed to be novel will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of a top wire positioning mechanism constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention and shown in conjunction with a fragment of an articulated lamp conveyor system such as is used in the copending Flaws et a1. application on Automatic Lamp Base Threading Machine.

Figure 2 is a vertical elevation view of the same mechanism. I 1

Fig. 3 is an enlarged-pictorial view of the combing and gripping members carried at the operating ends of the scissor arms of the mechanism and illustrated in exploded fashion for greater clarity.

The top wire positioning function required of the present mechanism may be understood by reference to Fig. 1 wherein there are shown electric lamp bulbs 1a, 1b, and 16 at various positions on an articulated conveyor system. The glass bulbs, as shown at la, are of a pear shape and have a constricted upper neck portion 2 out of which extend the top lead-in wire 3 and the side lead-in wire 4. It will be understood of course that the inward projections of the lead wires within the bulb support the filament.

The bulbs are held in suitable chuck assemblies each comprising a rectangular shaped base 5 on which are pivotally mounted a pair of jaws 6 and 7. These jaws are secured to cranks as shown at 8 in the case of jaw 6, which cranks are spring biased with respect to the base by means of coiled springs as shown at 9. The jaws are thus normally urged together to a substantially upright position in a manner to engage opposite sides of the lamp bulb and to seat it firmly on the crowfoot-shaped cup 10. The lamp chucks are driven by a roller chain of which a portion is shown at 1 1 and ride on a pair of guide rails 12 and 13. The wedge-shaped guard plates 14 and 15 are overlapped as between successive chucks on the conveyor and prevent debris such as glass fragments from falling or-r'the chain and interfering with its operation.

The chucks of the conveyor system are indexed from the lower right to the upper left as seen in Fig. 1'; thus the bulb shown at 1a is successively indexed into the position of bulb 1b, and then into that of bulb 1c, being held stationary in each position for a definite time interval in accordance with the indexing cycle of the conveyor system. It will be observed that the 'top lead-in wire 3 of bulb 1a is kinked and somewhat bent over and in that condition is not satisfactory for the operation of the automatic base threading mechanism described in the copendi'n'g Flaws et al. application. The wire must be straightened out and extended substantially vertically upwards from the neck of the bulb as illust'r'at'ed in jbulb 1c. The required straightening is effected whilethe bulb is located as shown at 1b by means of the mechanism located there'at and which will now be described.

The positioning and straightening of the top lead wire 3 is performed .by the combined operationof a pair of combing members 20 and 21 and of a pair of gripping members 22 and 23. These members are carried at the forward or operating ends of apair of scissor arms 24 and 25, which arms are pivotally mounted on a crosshead -26 loy-means of pins '27 and 28 in a manner to permit swivelmiddle portion of arms has been cut away in the drawing for greater clarity. The rearward extremities of the scissor arms are resiliently biased together by the helical spring 29 so that the forward ends of these arms are normally held apart.

The crosshead 26 is arranged for a limited vertical reciprocation and is held in the alignment shown in the drawings by means of the guide rods 30 and 31. The guide rods are fixed to a standard 32 which is in turn bolted to the frame of the conveyor system.

The vertical reciprocation of the crosshead 26 is effected by the movement of the spindle 35 linked to a connecting rod 36 which in turn may be driven by a conventional rocker arm and cam arrangement. The cam is not shown in the drawing but it will be understood that it may be geared in conventional manner to the driving means for the conveyor system in order to secure the operation of the top wire positioning mechanism at the proper time in the index cycle. The spindle 35 slides in the crosshead 26 between the stops 37 and 38, thereby providing a lost motion linkage. Evidently when the stops engage the top or bottom sides of the crosshead, it is forced either up or down, as the case may be, with a positive movement. The spindle carries at its upper end a wedge-shaped member 39 of which the sides engage rollers 40 and 41 fixed to the rear ends of scissor arms 24 and 25 respectively.

In the operation of the mechanism, whether on an up or on a down stroke of spindle 35, the swivelling of the scissor arms, either in or out, occurs first and is followed immediately by the up or down movement of the crosshead. This occurs as a result of the inertia of the crosshead aided by the fact that it is frictionally loaded on the guide rod 30. The means whereby the frictional loading is achieved may be seen in Fig. 2 and comprises a fiber washer 42 which is pressed against the guide rod 30 by means of a spring 43. The spring 43 in turn is compressed, within the cavity provided for it in crosshead 26, by means of the set screw 44 which is locked in place by the nut 45.

The result of the above-described arrangement is that i when spindle 35 moves for instance upward, crosshead 26 stays in place, that is at the lowermost position allowed by the lost motion linkage, until stop 38 engages its lower side. Meanwhile wedge 39 as a result of its upward movement forces the rear ends of the scissor arms apart so that the forward ends come sharply together thereby permitting the combing and gripping members 2023 to operate on the top wire. When stop 38 engages the lower surface of crosshead 26, the crosshead then moves upwards with the scissor arms swivelled together. On the downward stroke of spindle 35, the frictional loading of the crosshead operates to cause the scissor arms to swivel apart before any downward movement occurs. The downward movement then follows as soon as the lost motion has been taken up by the upper stop 37 striking the upper surface of the crosshead. The operation is further assisted by the inertia of the crosshead which tends to delay its vertical reciprocation until the lost motion of the spindle has been taken up.

It will be understood that the sequence of operations within the index cycle of the conveyor system comprises firstly moving a bulb such as that shown at In, into the position occupied by bulb 1b. During the movement of the conveyor system, the crosshead is at the top of its stroke and the gripping and combing members are closed and located clear above the path of movement of the top wires so as not to interfere with them. During the dwell periods while the conveyor is stationary, spindle 35 moves downward, thereby causing the scissor arms to first swivel out and then to move down and encompass the top wire. Upon reaching the bottom of its stroke, the spindle reverses its direction of movement and starts moving upward. The scissor arms thereupon swivel together so that wire and thereafter the crosshead moves upwards to a lit point where the gripping and combing members are again clear of the top wire. Thereafter the conveyor indexes a succeeding bulb into the positioning station and the cycle is repeated.

Since the bulbs are merely resiliently held in the chucks of the conveyor system, it is desirable to provide some means for preventing them from being pulled out during the upward movement of the positioning mechanism. This is'eifected by means of the locking members 50 and 51 which close together over the neck of the bulb as soon as it is indexed into the positioning station. These members are carried on arms 52, 53 mounted on vertical shafts 55 provided with intermeshing spur gears at their lower ends which constrain the arms to pivot in unison. The shafts may be rotated through the required angle at the appropriate time in the index cycle by suitable gearing to the driving means for the conveyor system.

The details of the gripping and combing members which insure the successful operation of the mechanism may be seen in Fig. 3. It will be realized that Fig. 3 is an exploded view wherein the gripping members have been displaced vertically upwards clear of the ends of the scissor arms to which they are attached. The ends of the scissor arms 24 and 25 appear in section where they have been broken off in the drawing. The combing members 20 and 21 are essentially V-shaped intermeshing plates ridgedly fixed to the arms 24 and 25. These plates are preferably dimensioned so that when the arms swivel together, the top wire is confined within the apexes of the closed notches but is not actually gripped by the combing members. In other Words, the combing members preferably provide merely a preliminary centralization of the top wire but do not actually grip it. The gripping members 22 and 23 are located vertically above the combing members. One of these, namely 23, is ridgedly 'fixed to the arm 25 by means of the bracket to which it is bolted and which in turn is bolted to the arm. The other member, namely 22, is resiliently mounted on arm 24 through the fixed bracket 61 and the pivot pin 62. The helical spring 63 urges the member 22 forward towards the cooperating gripping member 23; however, the forward pivoting of member 22 is limited by the set screw 64 striking the top surface 65 of the rear shoulder of bracket 61, as illustrated in dotted outline in the drawing.

The forward gripping face of the member 22 is rounded around the top edge as shown at 66; this is in order to permit the top lead-in wire to slip through the gripping members, during the upward movement of the scissor arms, without binding thereon as might occur if the edge were sharp shouldered. The cooperating faces 66 and 67 of the gripping members are adjusted so that member 22 is forced to pivot back slightly when the scissor arms swivel together. Thus the top lead-in wire is gripped and given a relatively sharp tug when the crosshead moves upwards. On the other hand, the pivotal mounting of the member 22 insures that no excessive stress is placed on the lead-in wire such as might cause the breakage of the seal into the glass bulb. It will be observed that the top part of the gripping member 23 is formed into a V-shaped notch which additionally serves to comb the top lead wire into place and to insure that it is properly centralized at the instant when the gripping members 22 and 23 come together.

The top wire positioning mechanism which has been described has the decided advantage that the top lead-in wire is first dressed or centralized by means of the fixed combing members. However the actual straightening, or rather the setting of the lead wire into a straightened and vertical position, is achieved by means of the resiliently mounted gripping members. The gripping members operate by giving the lead wire a sharp upward tug which elongates it slightly and permanently sets it in its straightened position.

While a certain specific embodiment has been shown and described, it will of course be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For instance, a greater or lesser number of combing members may be attached to the scissor arms depending upon the length of the lead wire which it is required to straighten out, the manner of pivotally hinging the gripping members may evidently be varied and other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover any such alterations coming within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A lead-in wire positioning mechanism for electric devices comprising means for holding at a station an electric device with a lead-in wire extending upwardly therefrom, a crosshead arranged for vertical reciprocation at said station, a pair of scissor arms pivotally mounted on said crosshead for swivelling in a horizontal plane and extending over said device, a vertical spindle sliding through said crosshead, upper and lower stops on said spindle adapted to engage said crosshead to provide it with vertical displacement subsequent to a lost motion movement of said spindle corresponding to the engage- 1 meat of one of said stops, a wedge-shaped portion at the upper end of said spindle engaging the rearward extremities of said scissor arms for causing swivelling thereof during said lost motion movement, and gripping members resiliently mounted at the forward extremities of said scissor arms for gripping the lead-in wire of said electric device positioned therebelow and dressing said wire into substantially straight and vertical relation by stressing it during the upward movement of said crosshead.

2. A lead-in wire positioning mechanism for electrical devices comprising means for holding at a station an electrical device with a lead-in wire extending generally upwardly therefrom, a crosshead arranged for vertical reciprocation at said station, a pair of scissor arms pivotally mounted on said crosshead for swivelling in a horizontal plane and extending over said device, a vertical spindle slidably engaging said crosshead between upper and lower stops allowing a lost motion of said spindle previous to vertical movement of said crosshead, a wedge shaped portion at the upper end of said spindle engaging the rearward extremities of said arms for swivelling their forward extremities together, spring means normally urging said forward extremities apart, frictional loading means on said crosshead for assuring the occurrence of said lost motion, thereby to cause swivelling of said arms prior to vertical movement of said crosshead, and gripping members mounted at the forward extremities of said arms for engaging the lead-in wire of said electrical device positioned therebelow.

3. A lead-in wire positioning mechanism for electrical devices comprising means for holding at a station an electrical device with a lead-in wire extending generally upwardlytherefrom, a crosshead arranged for vertical reciprocation at said station, a pair of scissor arms pivotally 7 said mounted on said crosshead for swivelling in a horizontal plane and extending over said device, a vertical spindle slidably engaging said crosshead between upper and lower stops allowing a lost motion of said spindle previous to vertical movement of said crosshead, a wedge-shaped portion at the upper end of said spindle engaging the rearward extremities of said arms for swivelling their forward extremities together, spring means normally urging said forward extremities apart, frictional loading means on said crosshead for assuring the occurrence of said lost motion and the consequent swivelling of said arms prior to vertical movement of said crosshead, fixed combing members at the forward extremities of said arms adapted to engage and position the lead-in wire of said electrical device positioned therebelow, resiliently mounted gripping members on the forward extremities of said arms adapted to grip said wire during the inward swivelling of arms, said gripping members being resiliently mounted in order to provide a limited stress on said wire for permanently setting it in a straightened condition without breaking it.

4. In combination with an indexing type conveyor carrying electrical devices having a top lead-in wire extending upwardly, a vertically reciprocable crosshead located at a station of said conveyor, means for reciprocating said crosshead during the dwell period of said conveyor, a pair or" scissor arms pivotally mounted on said crosshead for swivelling in a horizontal plane and extending over a device indexed into said station by said conveyor, a vertical spindle slidably engaging said crosshead between upper and lower stops allowing a lost motion of said spindle previous to positive vertical movement of said crosshead, a wedge-shaped portion at the upper end of said spindle engaging the rearward extremities of said arms for swivelling their forward extremities together, spring means normally urging said forward extremities apart, frictional loading means on said crosshead for assuring the occurrence of said lost motion and the consequent swivelling of said arms prior to vertical movement of said crosshead, combing members at the forward extremities of said arms adapted to position the top lead-in wire of the electrical device indexed at said station, resiliently mounted gripping members on the forward extremities of said arms adapted to grip said lead-in wire during the inward swivelling of said arms, said gripping members being resiliently mounted in order to provide a limited stress on said lead wire for permanently setting it in a straightened condition without breaking it.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

